On the 5th, a commentary article featuring the statement of 19-year-old table tennis player Sora Matsushima was published on the Chinese portal site Sohu.

The article introduced that Matsushima, in a recent interview with Japanese media, revealed his intention to 'retire from active play (even at 21 years old) if he wins a gold medal in the men's singles at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.' It reported that 'this statement caused the Chinese national team to feel even more vigilant.'

It then explained, 'Matsushima has achieved remarkable results, including winning the WTT US Smash and the All Japan Championships, and boasting a winning rate of over 70% against Chinese national team players.' It added, 'Against the backdrop of these achievements, he has resolved to stake his entire professional career on the Olympics two years from now.' It assessed, 'This thorough style, focused solely on the Olympics, has become a troublesome threat to the Chinese national team.'

The article pointed out, 'Matsushima's choice to abandon a long-term career plan and stake everything on the Olympics can fundamentally be described as a highly purposeful competitive strategy.' It stated, 'There is no need to exhaust himself by competing in various commercial tournaments, nor to adjust his competitive pace to maintain a high world ranking for an extended period. He can concentrate all his efforts on technical refinement, physical conditioning, and mental training for just the dozen or so days of the Olympics.'

Furthermore, it stated, 'Compared to Ma Long, who has maintained a world-class level for many years and built a gradual career, Matsushima's short-term, decisive-battle style of play is a unique uncertain factor in the table tennis world.' Regarding Matsushima's recent growth, it praised, 'His backhand Chiquita is excellent in speed, and his forehand rally power, which was once a weakness, has also been strengthened. He has repeatedly defeated Tomokazu Harimoto in major tournaments and is establishing his position as Japan's ace.'

Moreover, it stated, 'Matsushima's play is gradually diminishing China's advantage,' and expressed concern about the current situation where China's men's team sees Fan Zhendong not participating in major tournaments, world No. 1 Wang Chuqin lacking stability against international opponents, and young players like Lin Shidong still developing.

The article mentioned, '(What China) should truly be wary of is not Matsushima's skill level itself, but his resolve to approach the Olympics with no path of retreat.' It added, 'General players maintain their condition for future tournaments and balance that with injury care. Even if they lose a match, they have opportunities to adjust their form in subsequent tournaments. However, Matsushima's sole goal is the Olympics. In the remaining two years of preparation, China needs to refine its key players' ability to perform in crucial moments and provide young players with experience on the big stage. Furthermore, it concluded, 'China needs to analyze and study Matsushima's play and formulate countermeasures to win the gold medal at the Los Angeles Olympics.' (Translation and editing/Kitada)